The 2014 Major League Baseball season has come down to two wild-card teams as the National League's San Francisco Giants and American League's Kansas City Royals clash in the 2014 World Series starting Tuesday night a Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City.
The Giants toppled the Pirates 8-0 in the NL Wild-Card Game and then knocked off the top-seeded Washington Nationals in four games in the NLDS and the perennial October powerhouse St. Louis Cardinals in five games in the NLCS to reach the World Series for the third time in five years. San Francisco is looking to win the Fall Classic as it did in 2010 and in 2012.
The Royals have defied the odds all postseason long, winning the AL Wild-Card Game with a come-from-behind walk-off win over the Oakland Athletics and going on to sweep the Los Angeles Angels in three games in the ALDS and then the Baltimore Orioles in four games in the ALCS. Kansas City is in the World Series for the first time since 1985 -- 29 long years -- when they won it all by topping the Cardinals. The Royals are unbeaten thus far in the 2014 postseason.
Here are eight players to watch in the World Series as these two teams meet in the postseason for the first time ever.
Pablo Sandoval, Giants 3B: If there is anything to know about The Panda, he loves October baseball. Sandoval boasts a .325 career batting average in the playoffs with six homers and 16 RBI. Sandoval hit .400 in the NLCS and is hitting .326 overall this postseason while he searches for his first homer of October.
Eric Hosmer, Royals 1B: Hosmer is a huge reason why the Royals have broken their 29-year drought by getting to the World Series. Hosmer leads Kansas City with a .448 batting average this postseason and has launched two homers and added eight RBI. Hosmer hit .400 in both the ALDS and ALCS, notching seven RBI in the two series.
Madison Bumgarner, Giants LHP: Bumgarner has been the Giants best pitcher all season long and he took home MVP honors in the NLCS. Bumgarner, who will get the ball in Game 1 Tuesday, went 1-0 with a 1.72 ERA in two starts and 15.2 innings pitched in the NLCS, allowing three earned runs on nine hits while adding 12 strikeouts compared to three walks. Bumgarner is 2-1 this postseason with a 1.42 ERA and 5-3 in 11 playoff appearances (10 starts) in his career with a 2.67 ERA. Bumgarner has an MLB-best 28 strikeouts this October.
James Shields, Royals RHP: Kansas City acquired "Big Game James" for reasons such as this, but he'll need to start living up to the moniker in the postseason. Shields owns a 5.19 postseason ERA in his career and a 3-4 record to go with it. Shields is 1-0 with a 5.63 ERA in this postseason and lasted just five innings in the ALCS, yielding four earned runs on 10 hits while watching his ERA skyrocket to 7.20 in the series. Shields is third in the playoffs with 15 strikeouts.
Buster Posey, Giants C: Posey ranks second behind Sandoval on the Giants this postseason with 13 hits and a .302 batting average as he's been a spark for San Francisco. One problem for Posey this October has been notching extra base hits as all 13 of his hits are singles. Posey has five RBI thus far in the playoffs, but he'll look for his first long ball at some point in this World Series.
Lorenzo Cain, Royals CF: Cain has dazzled in this postseason with his glove and his speed and even picked up ALCS MVP honors during the Royals sweep of the Orioles. While his defense stood out, Cain's bat was also red-hot as he hit .533 in the ALCS with two doubles, five runs, an RBI and a stolen base. Cain is second on the Royals with a .353 batting average this October along with 12 hits and he leads the entire playoffs with nine runs.
Joe Panik, Giants 2B: While the rookie is hitting just .239 in these playoffs, Panik has come through in the clutch when the Giants have needed him most. Panik has a homer and three RBI in his first postseason thus far and after hitting .305 in the regular season, he could be primed for a breakout performance in the Fall Classic.
Greg Holland, Royals RHP: Both of these teams' bullpens are deep and each club should feel confident if it gets through the sixth inning with a lead, but Holland, the Royals closer, has been lights-out. Holland has a playoff-best six saves in six chances this postseason and has held opponents to a .107 batting average while pitching to a 1.13 ERA and 1.000 WHIP and striking out 10 batters.
The Giants look for their third World Series in five years while the Royals hope to claim their first title in 29 years when the 2014 World Series gets underway Tuesday in Kansas City.
Prediction: This series could go either way, but in the end the Royals seem destined to win their first title in 29 years. Kansas City's defense and bullpen will out-last the Giants in a series that likely goes the distance.
The Pick: Royals in 7
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